


Periwinkle

by Sekundi



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Bandori Secret Santa 2019, F/F, Flower Imagery, Fluff, Gift Giving, Song Lyrics, a lil bit of gay, but mostly just himari love n appreciation, minor moca, other charas mentioned, something ALWAYS gotta happen in the dressing room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22053472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sekundi/pseuds/Sekundi
Summary: Himari has always loved Christmas, and her friends, and giving them gifts. But when she decides to give Kaoru her own special present, she ends up getting closer with one of her friends in particular and learns a couple of things along the way.
Relationships: Udagawa Tomoe/Uehara Himari
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Periwinkle

One thing Himari strongly believed in was the importance of a good Christmas present. 

Every year, she put painstaking care into selecting the perfect present for the members of Afterglow. If one of them casually mentioned something they liked, or they had a new passion, Himari would notice, and write it down as a potential gift idea. Even if it was months away from Christmas.

Normally, she didn’t bother with anyone outside her family or Afterglow. Not that she didn’t care about her other friends, but they just weren’t as special. If she really liked them, she would give them some store-bought chocolate, or something similar. 

But this year was different. It was of extreme importance that she presented Kaoru Seta, prince of Haneoka and the second-coolest, nearly most beautiful human being on the planet, with the perfect gift.

She had given her chocolate on Valentine’s Day, and that had seemed like enough at the time, but now it was like she  _ had  _ to blow Kaoru away. It could just be because she loved Christmas, more than most normal people, or because she wanted to Kaoru to believe she was just as cool as her. Which she wasn’t, but Kaoru might think that if she got an amazing present from Himari.

...And Kaoru was also just… Beautiful! Shining! Spectacular! Or, as the prince would say herself,  _ fleeting. _

The question was: how was Himari supposed to impress a person like that?

She really had no clue. But that didn’t mean she was going to give up! No, she just had to seek some advice from the one person she knew that was closest to actually being Kaoru.

“You want me to help you think of a present for Seta-senpai?” Tomoe asked, seemingly shocked by Himari’s request.

“Pretty, much, yep!” Himari replied.

They were on shift together at the fast-food restaurant. Himari could have brought this up with Tomoe any time she wanted, but she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it as she prepared the increasingly unhealthy food (as a coping mechanism, probably). But it did mean that she had to yell sometimes over all the loud beeping and chatter of the other high-school students enjoying themselves while her and her most loyal friend slaved away.

“But why?” Tomoe said, frowning.

Himari sighed. “Isn’t it obvious? You and Kaoru-senpai are similar. Like, you’re both super popular and get all the ladies in and out of school!”

“T-That’s not necessarily true…” Tomoe said, even more surprised now.

“Oh, come on, you’re too modest. You’re like, crazy hot, and you have muscles! Loads of girls are dying to be bridal carried by you the way Kaoru-senpai does to them sometimes! Anyway, I’m getting off topic,” Himari said, choosing to ignore the red rapidly spreading across Tomoe’s face. “That’s why you’d be best at deciding what I should give her!”

“Really, huh?” Tomoe said, scratching the back of her head. “I don’t know if that’s necessarily true… We’re not as similar as you think we are. Normally I’d just be happy with some new sticks, or a book. I feel like with Seta-senpai, it would be something… fancy? I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Himari whined. She had been sure that Tomoe would provide her with the answer she needed. Both her and Kaoru were just so… cool, and she admired them both for that! Plus, it wasn’t often that Tomoe didn’t know the answer to one of Himari’s questions.

“I’m sure you know Seta-senpai better than me. You talk to her a lot at school, right?” Himari nodded. “Well then, I think the only person who could decide the perfect gift for you to give her would be… you.” Tomoe finished, looking a bit more sure of herself now.

“I guess you’re right, but I’m totally clueless! You remember when she put on that musical for all her fans in gratitude for our support? That was so sweet! I wanna do something like that. She’s always been super nice to me, so…” Himari trailed off, still unsure.

“I think you should give her a present that shows that, then. One only you can create, and give her. Something  _ Himari,  _ you know?” Tomoe said.

Himari gasped. “Tomoe! You’re exactly right!”

“I am?” Tomoe asked.

“Yeah! I just have to make something sincere that shows my true feelings towards Kaoru-senpai! The feelings that only I have! Thanks Tomoe, you’re a lifesaver!” Himari said.

“Really? But I didn’t do much…”

“That doesn’t matter! That’s what I need to do! Something  _ Himari,”  _ Then she paused. “But what? Like, there’s not much I could do that’s unique…”

She was so caught up in her thoughts Tomoe had to nudge her to tell her that a customer was waiting for her to give them their order. She hastily dumped the tray onto their hands before turning back to Tomoe and sighing. “There’s tennis, but I doubt Kaoru-senpai wants to see me running around a court getting all hot and sweaty… That would be a horrible present…”

“Music,” Tomoe said, as she crammed five drinks into her arms and passed them across the counter.

“Huh?” Himari asked, partly because she hadn’t really heard, and partly because she had no idea what Tomoe meant by ‘music’. Her ears must be playing tricks on her.

“Music! You’re really good at music!” Tomoe said, turning to her and shrugging. “I mean, you’ve been playing bass for three years, almost four, so…”

“So I play the bass for Kaoru-senpai?” Himari said. “But I’m not the one who composes songs and stuff. That’s Ran, and Tsugu helps with the melodies cause she’s good at that kind of thing…”

“Even so, you help with a bunch of the guitar and bass stuff, right?” Tomoe said. “It doesn’t have to be that long, or even related to anything in particular. You made it for Seta-senpai, and hopefully she’ll appreciate it.”

Himari was now staring wide-eyed at Tomoe, mouth hanging open.

“I-I mean, it’s just a suggestion, you know? But it would be cool if you… did that… please stop staring at me now?”

“To~mo~e!” Himari yelped, enveloping Tomoe in a giant hug and clinging to her muscled form. “That is the best idea ever! It’s so sweet, and perfect, and gah, I could  _ kiss _ you right now!” she squealed, without thinking. The middle school boy at the front of the line dropped his money.

Tomoe herself was fighting an incredible blush that would surely make her visible to the whole of Japan. Himari still did not notice as she daintily hopped off her. She began to hum possible melodies for her song, her mind racing. Perhaps she could use elements from some of her favourite pop songs? (Afterglow might be rock, but that didn’t mean she had to listen to it all the time.) That being said, what  _ was  _ Kaoru’s favourite genre of music? Hello Happy World was kind of hard to describe. She’d have to ask Kaoru herself at school tomorrow.

Meanwhile, behind her, Tomoe ran a hand through her hair, breathed out slowly, and gave the middle school boy his burger and fries.

* * *

Two days later, and Himari had discovered that the songwriting process was a little more difficult than she had imagined.

She’d texted Tsugumi and Lisa for tips, and had came up with some pretty good melodies that were starting to come together. But she still felt as if something was missing from the song.

And to make things worse, she’d set a deadline for herself. She’d asked Kaoru at school one day to come by CiRCLE on the 23rd.  _ Christmas Eve Eve _ , she heard in Moca’s voice. That was only in a week. The song would surely come together by then, but she didn’t couldn’t shake the  _ missing  _ feeling.

She knew it was lyrics. But she was trying to ignore the part of her head yelling it, for a few reasons. She wasn’t the most confident singer, to start with. She wasn’t like Ran who could stand on a stage and belt out all her feelings into a crowd full of strangers. Singing in front of Kaoru would certainly feel like singing into a crowd. She probably didn’t listen to Afterglow, and therefore wouldn’t have heard Himari’s voice. What if she started singing and Kaoru hated it? And besides, she wasn’t the most confident singer either. She had solo and backing lines in Afterglow’s songs, sure - but singing her own words all by herself was completely different. She had no idea how Ran did it.

But… it wouldn’t hurt to give lyric-writing a try, right? Lisa had done it. And even if they sucked and Himari was never able to look at them again, she could say she’d attempted it. But on the off chance they were actually acceptable, she could just decide whether to sing or not on the day.

Now what to write about… Kaoru would probably appreciate something sophisticated and dramatic. A thrilling story. And she’d probably have to incorporate Christmas, too…

Her mind made up, Himari picked up a pen and began to write.

* * *

The day had come. It was time for her to show Kaoru her song.

She had spent one whole week perfecting it down to the last note. She had practically camped inside CiRCLE. (Marina kept shooting her concerned looks.)

But she was fine! In fact, she was  _ buzzing.  _ The way Kaoru had worked so hard in her own musical had truly inspired her, and she wanted to show her something equally amazing. Even though she wasn’t singing. 

She had thought about it a lot, and in the end - she couldn’t do it. The thought of it made her insides churn, and she’d rather focus on playing the bass, which was what she excelled at.

The fact that Tomoe had agreed to come along to the studio was even better. She wasn’t playing anything, but having spent the past ten years doing almost everything with her, Himari needed her there as moral support.

...And if she was being honest, that was another big reason why she couldn’t sing. As time had gone on, the lyrics had become a lot less dramatic and  _ very  _ personal. Having Tomoe listen to them would be so embarrassing, she couldn’t even think about it, let alone  _ actually do it. _

CiRCLE was warm and a welcome shelter from the bitter December cold outside. It was also decorated for Christmas, with red, green and gold tinsel hanging on top of doors and across the front desk. Marina was even wearing her own Santa hat, standing on a stepladder behind the desk as she desperately tried to hoist up some fairy lights.

“Ah, hello, Himari-chan!” she said, turning around to face her. “You had a studio booked around this time, right?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Well, here you go,” Marina said, reaching for the key and handing it to her. “You’ve been here a lot by yourself recently. Working on something special?”

“Mm, yeah!” Himari replied. “I guess you could say it is a little special.”

Jingling the key in her hand, she made her way to the studio she had reserved. Just as she was about to go in, slightly wondering where Tomoe was, a deep voice made her turn around.

“Ahhhh, there she is! The princess of the hour!”

Himari turned to see both Kaoru and Tomoe sitting on one of the tables in the lobby. Kaoru immediately sprung up and kissed her hand (the one with the key in it) which made Himari’s whole arm tingle. Tomoe watched carefully.

“You guys!” she said, her voice even higher than usual. “When did you arrive? I was gonna get here first and set up…”

“Ah, but I was simply bursting with excitement at the prospect of receiving your gift, I could not help but commute to the studio earlier than I expected. And on the way, I picked up my fellow prince.” Kaoru explained.

“Ako’s having a sleepover with Rinko tonight, and I thought I’d leave before she came round so i can, you know, give ‘em space for a bit.” Tomoe said.

“Aww, that’s so sweet, you guys!” Himari said, even though Kaoru was rubbing her chin as discreetly as she could from when it had knocked against the key. “I guess we should go in, then?”

Tomoe and Kaoru both nodded, so Himari slid the key into the lock and turned it. She had used to struggle with CiRCLE’s notoiously difficult and heavy doors, but she had had to learn because everyone in her band was too stupid to open it either. Except Tsugumi, of course, but Himari felt like she should be assertive given that she was their leader and all.

Once they were inside, Kaoru offered the only seat in the studio to Himari, who shook her head. “I play standing up for the band all the time, so it’s natural to me,” she explained as she took out her bass. It was in the same perfect condition it had been in yesterday. That was good. She had spent  _ ages  _ on maintenance just because she wanted nothing in this performance to go wrong.

Kaoru then offered the chair to Tomoe, who declined. “I can’t. It’s your present, right?”

“But you are watching as well, are you not? And it would be beyond inconsiderate to deny someone as handsome as you a seat.”

“No, really, Seta-senpai. Sit down.”

“I can’t.”

Tomoe looked frustrated. Himari, who was trying not to burst out laughing at the scene, decided to point out something she had  _ hoped  _ was obvious, but clearly wasn’t. “There’s another seat behind the drum kit…”

“Ah, of course!” Kaoru exclaimed, walking over to the kit as quickly as she could. “I shall make my place here then. Thank you, Himari-chan.”

“Now hold on a second,” Tomoe said, frowning. “I’m a drummer. I’ll sit behind the kit.”

“But that chair is more comfortable, surely? Please take it, Tomoe-chan.” Kaoru said, looking desperate.

“Seta-senpai, seriously, I’d be happier behind the drums-“

“Will you both  _ please  _ just sit down?” Himari half-yelled. “Anywhere. I don’t care. On the floor, if you will. But I only have this place booked for half an hour and I wanna get out of here because Marina looks like she needs to see her family again.”

Tomoe and Kaoru both looked very sheepish. “Alright then,” Kaoru said. “in that case, I shall take the chair.”

“That’s settled, then,” Himari said as Tomoe sat behind the drums. She had taken the opportunity to tune her bass while her two friends were being ridiculous. Not that it needed much, as she’d already tuned it about three times that day. With a deep breath, she played a few experimental notes.

Kaoru sat in stunned silence as she played, her eyes wide. “Amazing…” she said, once Himari was done. “That was a truly beautiful piece, Himari-chan. Thank you.”

“That… was not my gift.” Himari chuckled.

Kaoru looked surprised. “Ah. I see. Of course. The real gift will be a hundred times more divine, I’m sure?”

“I hope,” Himari muttered, before placing her fingers on the correct frets. With a glance for support at Tomoe, who offered her a thumbs up, she counted herself in in her head and began to play.

It was just like playing with Afterglow, even though it wasn’t. It was in a completely different context to a completely different audience, yet Himari’s fingers moved effortlessly across the bass like they did when she played with her beloved band. It wasn’t just muscle memory; yes, she’d practised hard, but it was more than that. She was getting lost in the song, the music she had created herself, and it was wonderful. She was both acutely aware of Tomoe and Kaoru’s presence and also on another plane of existence from them. It was magic, same as always.

She only realised how tired she was when she started to pant after she’d stopped playing. She crashed back down to Earth, the same way she did at their live shows, except there was no roar from the audience. Just Kaoru and Tomoe’s wide eyes staring back at her.

Eventually, she had to speak. “So… did you like it?”

Kaoru seemed to snap back into life. “Like it?” she said. “HImari-chan, that was like… the symphony of a thousand orchestras. The combination of all the world’s bands. The deep, rich sounds of the bass combined with your skilled fingers have truly opened my eyes in a way they were not before… Ah, how fleeting!” She finished by falling to her knees dramatically.

“I think it’s safe to say she did like it,” Tomoe said.

“Wow, thanks Kaoru-senpai! I’m glad you did enjoy it.” Himari said, unable to hold back her grin. She had been a little nervous, given it was Kaoru and all, but this outcome was way better than she could have expected.

“Himari-chan! I have a suggestion.” Kaoru said suddenly, standing up and clasping Himari’s hands. Once again, her whole arm tingled.

“Uh, yeah, what is it?” Himari asked.

“A truly fleeting offer. You may feel free to decline, of course, but…” Kaoru took a deep breath.

“Will you play this song at Hello Happy World’s Christmas show tomorrow?”

* * *

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Tomoe whispered.

“Neither can I,” Himari replied nervously.

Despite it being at ridiculously short notice, Himari and Tomoe had taken a chunk out of their Christmas Eve plans, which mostly involved partying through the night with Afterglow, and come to HaroHapi’s Christmas live. Himari felt awful saying no to Kaoru, and so she had accepted the offer. But now she regretted it. A bit. Because since when had CiRCLE become so big? And full of fans? Actually, scratch that. Since when had HaroHapi become so popular? Himai tried to attend their shows when she could (mostly for Kaoru, she couldn’t lie) but she didn’t remember the crowd being this large, or intimidating.

She felt a familiar and comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be fine,” Tomoe said. “You aced it yesterday, right? So a crowd shouldn’t be putting you off. You just gotta show them what you’re made of.”

Himari turned to face her. “Mm. You’re right. Thanks, Tomoe.”

“Anytime,” Tomoe said. “Now, I think we’re up.”

Sure enough, Kaoru’s deep voice rang out across the venue. “Now may you please welcome two very special guests from our friends Afterglow, here to perform a Christmas song along with me! Let me hear your biggest cheers for Himari Uehara and Tomoe Udagawa!”

Himari and Tomoe walked onto the stage to surprisingly loud applause, Himari clutching her bass and Tomoe her sticks. They hadn’t really been sure what to wear to fit HaroHapi’s theme, but Kaoru had said anything colourful or Christmassy would do. Himari was in one of her favourite pink sweaters and a snow-white skirt with tinsel around her neck (provided by Marina). Tomoe was in a regular blue shirt and loose jeans but with a ridiculous pair of antlers on her head (from Moca). Himari was sure they probably still looked out of place, but she didn’t even have space to worry about that, given all the other things she was nervous about.

She plugged her bass into the amp, and with an encouraging smile from Hagumi, took the centre of the stage. Behind her, Tomoe was settling behind the drums. And to her left?

“This is a special song I heard for the first time only yesterday, yet the minute it reached my ears I knew you all had to hear it. And when dearest Himari-chan told me there were lyrics, I knew I had to sing them. These divine words truly encompass the spirit of Christmas and how important it is to spend time around those you love. So without further ado, may we please have the count, Tomoe-chan?”

Tomoe nodded. “1, 2, 3, 4!”

Himari was amazed. Once again, the whole crowd seemed to melt away, leaving her only with her bass and Tomoe’s drumming. Kaoru had insisted Tomoe join the performance, saying that after her wonderful performance in the musical earlier that year, it would be a shame not to include her. As such, the drum line was simple, or else Tomoe would have never been wearing  _ jeans. _

But it was when Kaoru started to sing that Himari’s hands became a little shaky. Not because of how amazing Kaoru’s voice was (okay, it was a bit because of that) but because she was singing the words she had written, but been too scared to actually perform.

_ “Kaoru-senpai,”  _ she had said in CiRCLE yesterday. _ “I want you to sing this tomorrow.” _

Kaoru had looked at the sheet Himari had given her.  _ “Are these lyrics to your song?” _

_ “Yes. I marked out where you start and stop - and if there’s any words you need to repeat, and stuff… so please can you do it?”  _ Himari had said.

Kaoru had frowned.  _ “But why are you not singing yourself?” _

_ “I’m- kinda scared to, I guess,”  _ Himari had confessed.  _ “So can you do it for me instead?” _

Kaoru had smiled a much softer smile than her normal dazzling ones.  _ “Of course.” _

And that was where they were now. Kaoru singing the words she had written, onstage, in front of a crowd of people who didn’t know anything about Himari. Probably. Unless Afterglow were hiding in there somewhere - which they most likely actually were. That was kind of embarrassing to think about, given that Himari had been thinking about them while writing.

She hadn’t been able to help it! It had just… happened. It was a song she had written to  _ perform  _ to Kaoru, but really, she had written it for herself. About her friends. And perhaps… one in particular.

_ I remember every second I spend with you _

_ You’re a rock I can always come back to _

_ I wish I could thank you but words aren’t enough _

_ All I have is this song and my love _

_ Even if we can’t spend every Christmas together anymore _

_ Even if we all start our own new beginnings _

_ We’ll always find our way back to each other _

_ And treasure every moment we do have, past, present and future _

It was kind of cheesy, and Ran could probably write it a thousand times better, but it was hers. And it was being sung by her idol.

This was a pretty great outcome, actually.

When the song ended, the crowd roared. And they didn’t stop. In fact, they whooped and screamed and shouted for a lot longer than they had any other song. Or maybe it was just Himari’s imagination. Either way, she felt electric. Every nerve in her body was on edge in the best way possible. Like finishing a song with Afterglow - but it was  _ her  _ song. And although Afterglow’s songs really belonged to all five of them, not just Ran - this one was her own.

It was scary, but also a feeling she wanted to hold onto forever.

_ “Himari-chan, why do you still look upset?” Kaoru asked. “I agreed to sing the song, yes?” _

_ “You did, but I kinda wish I could.” Himari said. _

_ Kaoru frowned. “Then why ask me?” _

_ “I can’t,” Himari said. “It’s too personal - and even if it wasn’t, I’m not sure I would have the confidence anyway. Singing in front of all those people? I couldn’t even do it in front of you and Tomoe. Although that might have been worse, in a way. Tomoe would have worked out what it was about.” _

_ “Indeed, I did feel your personal feelings flooding through from this page,” Kaoru said. “I could even hear it in the melody you played us earlier.” _

_ “You could?” Himari asked, embarrassed. “I’m sorry… it was supposed to be a present for you…” _

_ “Ah, but it is,” Kaoru said. “It is something you have clearly put your whole heart into, and then decided to show to me. I could not ask for anything better.” _

_ “Really?”  _

_ “Truly,” Kaoru confirmed. “And do not fret, Himari-chan. Singing in front of an audience is scary, and I would much rather you decide not to instead of forcing yourself and being uncomfortable.” _

_ “But wouldn’t it be brave to sing in front of everyone?” Himari asked. _

_ “Well, yes.” Kaoru said. “”But bravery is not the be all and end all. It is important - I have learnt that - but it is also important to understand your own limits. You feel you cannot sing this song? That’s alright. Perhaps one day you will, or you may never be ready. Either way, you are only human, and you cannot be as courageous as a… lion, all the time. Even playing in front of everyone, and letting me sing these lyrics that mean a lot to you, is brave.” _

_ “You mean that? I don’t have to be brave all the time?” Himari said. _

_ “Of course not. You know -” Kaoru looked as if she was steeling herself to say something incredibly important - “I don’t tell many people this, but I’m afraid of heights.” _

_ “You are? But what about Romeo and Juliet? When you climbed the balcony?” _

_ “When I slip into my roles, it is different. But if I were asked to go on a rollercoaster with a friend, for example, I would want to decline. Why? I would be sick and dizzy and not enjoy the experience at all. The same goes for you. If you were worried about singing, but decided to go through with it anyway, would you deliver your best performance? Or would you feel too nervous and end up hurting yourself?” Kaoru said, looking straight down at Himari. _

_ “I would hurt myself, right?” Himari asked. _

_ “Most likely. So you see, Himari-chan - there are times we must be brave, and times we must value ourselves. By asking me to sing for you, you’re putting yourself first, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. I’m honoured to do this for you.” Kaoru said, smiling another soft smile. _

_ “Thank you, Kaoru-senpai,” Himari said, honestly and genuinely. _

_ “You are most welcome. I trust that you’ll perform well tomorrow?” _

_ Himari smiled. “Of course!” _

As the crowd roared, Himari caught Kaoru’s eye. She might have been imagining it, but she could have sworn Kaoru gave her a slight nod and a smile, before bowing to the audience.

* * *

“Man, that was awesome!” Tomoe said, flopping into a chair in the dressing room. “You were so cool up there, Himari.”

“You think?” Himari asked. 

Tomoe nodded. “Although I did almost drop my sticks when Seta-senpai started singing.”

“Ahaha, yeah…”

“Himari.” Tomoe said seriously, eyeing her. “Those lyrics are about us, aren’t they? All of us.”

Slowly, Himari nodded.

“They’re really good,” Tomoe said, grinning. “Honest. I think you could give Ran a run for her money.”

“Tomoe!” Himari exclaimed. She could feel the tears coming on already. “Thank god! I was so worried! Half the reason I didn’t sing them yesterday was because I knew you would suss out what I meant and judge them…”

Tomoe looked amused. “What’s the point in writing a song about Afterglow if you don’t want any of the members to hear it?”

Himari glared at her through slightly blurry eyes. “That’s not what I meant!”

“I know, I know. I’m only teasing.” Tomoe said, before patting the spot next to her. “Come here.”

Himari obliged, shuffling into place next to her longtime friend. Before she knew it, her head was leaning into Tomoe’s shoulder, and Tomoe was playing with her hair.

“You don’t have to worry,” Tomoe said. “I didn’t know you were worrying about this. But Afterglow will always stay together, yeah? Even if it’s not as a band, we’ll always be friends.”

“Mm. I know. I guess I just got a little sentimental while writing it.” Himari said softly.

“Haha, well, you’ve always been good at that.”

Himari didn’t even have the energy to glare a second time. Instead, she responded by burying her head further into Tomoe’s shoulder.

“I’m being serious, though. Even when we all grow up, and do fancy stuff with our lives, we’ll always still hang out. We’ve been together a decade already, so no trouble with a few more, right?” Tomoe said, still holding her.

“That’s basically what I said in the song,” Himari whined.

Tomoe laughed. “But you said it much better than me. You should seriously consider teaming up with Ran.”

“Hm, maybe I will. But I’m too busy being the super cool band leader and all, so it might have to wait.”

“Ah, yes. I forgot. You are Afterglow’s formidable leader.” Tomoe frowned, like a sudden thought had occurred to her. “Hey. Do you have a name for the song in mind?”

Himari didn’t answer right away. But then she mumbled: “Periwinkle.”

She could feel Tomoe laughing slightly again. “I was wrong. You’ve teamed up with Ran already.”

“I can’t help but pay attention to her flower talk. It’s interesting!”

“Really? I mean, I guess it is, but it’s kinda hard for me to understand.” Tomoe sighed.

“I heard her mention what it was once, and then I googled it to make sure. It fitted perfectly with what I wanted the message of the song to be!” Himari explained cheerfully.

Tomoe nodded. “That’s pretty cool. But hey, question.”

“Hm?”

“It’s… a little embarrassing. Okay, scratch that,  _ really  _ embarrassing.” Tomoe said, looking sheepish.

“It’s okay! I won’t laugh. I’m the one who gets teased normally, right? So I know how it feels.” Himari said, trying to appear comforting.

“Yeah, I know, but this is different.” Tomoe said, shifting in place.

Himari got off her shoulder and turned to face Tomoe properly. “Tomoe. It’s okay. Just tell me.”

“Okay.” Tomoe breathed out slowly. “In your song. I know it’s about all of Afterglow, but was any of it about me specifically? I mean, I might be reading this wrong, but-” Tomoe became even more agitated before mumbling quietly: “I like you, Himari.”

“Aww, why were you so stressed about that?” Himari asked. “I like you too!”

“No. I  _ like  _ you, Himari.”

_ Oh. _

_ Ohhhh. _

“Well, then, my answer is the same! I like you, Tomoe!” Himari said, with a smile.

Tomoe’s eyes bulged. “For real?”

“Yep! I wouldn’t lie to you, you know that.” 

“Yeah, but I thought you had it bad for Seta-senpai.” Tomoe shrugged.

“Oh, of course I do. Everyone does. Don’t you?” Himari asked.

Tomoe thought about it for a second. “I mean, she’s very dramatic, but it kinda works.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“...Yes.”

Himari giggled. “See? You get it. But she’s not the same as you.”

“That’s funny, coming from the one who came for me to advice on her present because we’re so similar, apparently.” Tomoe said, raising her eyebrows.

“Oh come on! That’s different. You’re both super cool, but I admire Kaoru-senpai. My feelings for you are a bit more than that.” Himari said with a smug smile, knowing Tomoe would get flustered.

Predictably, she did. “W-Well, thank you.”

Himari grinned and leaned closer. “Hey, Tomoe. Wanna know what I got you for Christmas?”

Tomoe frowned. “You’re giving me my present tomorrow.”

“I know, but I got a little extra for you first. Close your eyes.”

Tomoe still looked slightly nervous, but she nodded and obliged.

Slowly, Himari leaned forward and pressed a light kiss against her cheek. Tomoe’s eyes flew open. “What-”

“Merry Christmas, Tomoe.”  Tomoe placed her hand on the spot Himari had kissed, which was rapidly turning red along with the rest of her face. “Thanks.” She still looked ready to faint.

Before Himari could say or do anything more, they were interrupted. “Ah, is that my two favourite kittens?” Kaoru said, poking her head round the door.

“Um, yeah.” Himari said hastily, because Tomoe still didn’t look capable of speech.

“The crowd asks us all to take one final bow. Would you care to join us?” Kaoru asked.

“Yeah, sure! We’ll be right there.” Himari replied.

“Oh, and by the way, I also found your one of friends as I made my way here,” Kaoru said, shifting to reveal Moca.

Tomoe looked like she’d seen a ghost. And after ten years of being teased relentlessly by Moca, Himari couldn’t blame her.

“I finally found you guys~” Moca drawled. “We thought you’d forgotten about our party.”

“Don’t be stupid, ‘course we haven’t. It hasn’t even started yet.” Tomoe said, folding her arms.

“That’s true, but you know how these fangirls can be. They might never let you out of CiRCLE, they loved your performance so much~” Moca said, smirking.

“Now you’re being really stupid.” Tomoe said.

Moca faked a gasp. “You insult me so~ But hey, how come I’m the stupid one when you won’t tell me why you were blushing so hard when I came in?”

“It’s none of your business,” Tomoe said, her blush creeping back. “Anyway. Himari. You coming?”

Himari leapt off the table with a smile, not even bothering to reply.

Because Tomoe knew that no matter what, she would always follow her friends.

**Author's Note:**

> For the bandori secret santa on Instagram! I feel awful that this is late, but I spend most of the leadup to Christmas being completely sick and at some point I kinda realised 'yeah this is not getting finished on time'. I hope I've made up for the delay with a fairly lengthy fic. That or I'm just incapable of writing anything less than 5k...
> 
> Anyway long story short writing this has also greatly increased my appreciation for TomoHima and Himari... which I'm not really complaining about.
> 
> Comments and kudos much appreciated mwah


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